Interactive Read Alouds

Reading to children is one of the best parts of my teaching day.  Whenever I get a chance to dive into one of my favorite picture books it brings passion to my job.  All good teachers know the power of what a good picture book can do for children’s learning.  Books can be used for the sheer joy of reading for pleasure or they can be used to specifically plan and teach a skill. This is what we would call an interactive read-aloud.  

Interactive read-alouds are a fun way to bring picture books to life. 
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Why is Interactive Read-Alouds  Important

• they provide children access to rich text
• Develops high-level thinking
• Deepens comprehension through discussion and active thinking​
• Provides scaffolding
• Target vocabulary development
• Integrates higher order questioning skills
• Develops connections to text (text-to-self, world or another text)
• Fosters an enjoyment and a love of reading

Interactive read-alouds are about providing children with the opportunity to be actively involved in asking and answering questions and making predictions, rather than passively listening. 

Planning an Interactive Read-Aloud

When planning out an interactive read-aloud you need to think about: 

• Ask the right recall questions
• Ask the perfect open-ended questions
• Scaffold learning with questions based on prior knowledge
• Pick out the perfect academic vocabulary 

Get it Now

In conclusion making deep connections through the reading process is critical for reading comprehension and vocabulary development in preschool.  This process challenges the teacher to be more purposeful about their read-alouds, it’s a purposeful use of our time.